SEEDS Opportunities - March 2016

SEEDS is a program of the Ecological Society of America.   Empowering the next generation of Ecologists!  SEEDS Opportunities! March 2016 Greetings SEEDS family!  Are you looking for a summer research opportunity? Do you know of a student that would like to attend the ESA Annual Meeting or a SEEDS Field Trip?  Here are a few opportunity highlights for diverse undergraduate students - Please share with friends and colleges! 2016 SEEDS National Field Trip! Apply today for a fully funded SEEDS Field Trip for undergraduates to visit the amazing Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri!  SEEDS participants will get to go out in the field and explore with our hosts, the USDA Forest Service, the amazing opportunities to study the beauty of the unique environments of the Ozarks. Students will work with restoration projects, herpetology surveys, group research projects and even go on a night hike to Onyx Cave to learn about bats! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity! For more information please visit our National Field Trip page.   Deadline for application is March 15, 2016.  Summer Research Opportunity at Sierra de Las Minas, Guatemala! Linking ecosystem and geomorphic processes to understand the large-scale dynamics of tropical mountains mediated by landsliding.   Are you interested in learning about plant functional diversity? Do you want to gain experience in a project combining ecology with geomorphology? Do you want to want to learn about how soil fertility may influence plant traits influencing slope stability? Are you interested in learning how these interactions may influence carbon cycling? Do you want to learn about the relationships between landsliding and climate change? Do you want to learn about new cultures? Well if you answered yes to any of these questions, this summer experience can be for you! Through field sampling of vegetation and soil in two contrasting environments (forest and landslides) this project seeks to understand the dynamics of landsliding and its importance for the diversity and functioning of tropical montane ecosystems. The work will be conducted in the Sierra de Las Minas, a mountain range located in eastern Guatemala that harbors and enormous diversity of plants and is critical in the production of water.  The student participating in this project will learn about field methods and will have the opportunity to develop a research project. Students interested in applying to graduate school in the Fall semester are encouraged to consider the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras as an option.  Requirements:  * Desire to gain experience in the field.  * Desire to learn new ecosystems and cultures.  * Interest in outdoor activities.  * Strong work ethic * 3rd year of studies in Biology or related disciplines.  * Ideally have taken a course in ecology or field techniques.  * GPA> 3.5  * Knowing Spanish is a plus.  Application:  We are seeking highly motivated and qualified students. If you are interested in this opportunity please submit the following documents:  (a) Letter explaining you interest in participating in this study (b) 1-2 page essay describing your interests and goals  (c) Curriculum Vitae (d) Two letters of recommendation  Visit the Tropical Large-scale Ecology Lab page for more information.  Travel Awards for the 2016 ESA Annual Meeting SEEDS student participants at the 100th ESA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD The SEEDS program offers two types of travel awards to attend the ESA Annual Meeting every year. This year the meeting will be hosted in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from August 7-12, 2016.  SEEDS Undergraduate Travel Awards - available to any undergraduate student enrolled in a US institution.  SEEDS Alumni Travel Awards - available to previous SEEDS participants that have completed or are in the process of completing a graduate degree.  Travel awards are funded through support of the National Science Foundation and ESA member donations. Do you want to sponsor a student to come to the ESA Annual Meeting?  If you are in the position to support one or more undergraduate students to participate in the 2016 ESA Annual Meeting and would like for him/her to be included in the SEEDS program activities -visit our Annual Meeting Packages page for more information or email staff at seeds@esa.org SEEDS Program | Ecological Society of America | seeds@esa.org | www.esa.org/seeds STAY CONNECTED:

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